Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.

Chapter 10

"What about Mona?" Nysa asked her father as he worked to fit all of her important things into the small knapsack.

"You can bring Mona."

"Won't she be scared?"

Neo stopped packing and went to his daughter's bedside. She had been doing much better, though they said it may take weeks for the virus to fully leave her system. Trinity, however, insisted that she remain in bed for as long as she saw fit. To everyone's surprise Nysa complied willingly and had spent the last two days doing nothing but resting.

Neo leaned over the girl and picked up the small ragged doll that lay on the pillow next to her. "Do you think she'd be scared?" Nysa only shrugged. "I guess she might be," he continued, "going to a new place and all. It is kind of different out there."

She looked up at him with big eyes, wide, unblinking.

"Course, it's not that different. She'd still have you. And mommy and I'll be there, and Morpheus and Link. Even the Kid's coming this time."

"He is?" she asked, her face breaking into a smile.

"Yep."

She shifted under the heavy covers and frowned again. "But it's cold, isn't it?"

"Sometimes. But that's why we pack extra sweaters."

Nysa looked at her doll and wrapped a strand of its thick yarn-like hair around her finger. "She doesn't have any extra sweaters," she commented sadly.

"Hmm, well maybe we can just wrap her up in a blanket if she gets cold," he suggested.

"Daddy," she said sincerely, "she wouldn't be able to move, she'd be trapped. That's no way to live." He looked down at his daughter and considered the possibility that she was wiser than him, even at her young age. The doll shifted in his grasp as Nysa continued to play with its hair and he relinquished it, laying it down next to her, watching as she folded Mona in her warm embrace. He reached up to brush some loose strands away from her eyes and regarded her with as much love as she seemed to be gazing at the doll with.

"Maybe she shouldn't go," she finally said. "It's probably better for her. She likes it here."

Neo considered her suggestion, thought hard about what his response should be. "We could ask Olivia if she'd take care of her for a while. Just until we get back."

"Yeah," she said softly, "just until we get back."

Nysa looked up at him and smiled a sad smile, one that was clearly just for show. I'm okay, it said. I can be strong. I can handle this. As he looked down at his brave daughter all he could think about was the old adage, if you love something set it free. That was what she had decided to for Mona. He wondered if he would ever be able to show as much maturity as his little girl. He wondered if he could ever bring himself to sacrifice what he loved most.

"Come on," he said suddenly, shaking off the pervading thoughts and pulling the blankets off Nysa. "Let's go ask her."

"Now?" she asked in midair as her father threw her over his shoulder.

"Why not?"

"Neo," Trinity started upon seeing him march towards the door with Nysa dangling, Mona bouncing off his back as he moved.

"We'll be back," he said, passing her by.

"We're going to see Livi," Nysa managed through giggles as she struggled to keep hold of her doll. Trinity shook her head slightly, partly out of motherly disapproval, she shouldn't be out of bed after all, and partly out of the unexpected joy of seeing her child smile and laugh again.

Once the two arrived at Link and Zee's door Neo turned Nysa upright and set her down. Standing behind his pajama-clad daughter he pounded on the door, causing the little girl to laugh even harder. Link answered, a startled look on his face.

"We're here to see Olivia," Neo said matter-of-factly. "We have a request to make of her."

Nysa continued to giggle as Link stepped aside to let them in. "Livia," he called, "someone's here to see you."

"How are you feeling, Nysa?" Zee asked from the table.

"Fine," she answered casually watching as Olivia approached her.

"Olivia," her father said, kneeling beside her, "We need a favor."

"I don't wanna," responded the little girl who then defiantly turned her back on them both.

"Livi," Link chided.

Nysa knew why she was angry. Olivia had come by to visit her last night, just after it had been decided that she would go with her parents on the Nebuchadnezzar. The parents, both sets, decided to talk to the girls together about their soon to come separation. They explained, of course, that it was the only way, that Nysa had to leave. No, she can't stay with Zee this time. No, Livi couldn't come along. No, they didn't know how long it might be. Olivia could barely keep it together, breaking down in tears at the prospect of losing her best friend for an undetermined period of time. The family left fairly quickly, leaving Nysa to lay in bed all alone and reflect in the dark.

"You have to," she said, touching her friend softly on the shoulder. "I don't want to go away, but I have to."

"That's not true!" Olivia blurted out. "You always wanted to go on one of those stupid ships. You're always talking about it!"

"But not without you," she said tenderly. Neo stood and he and Link retreated to the far corner of the room where Zee still sat, giving their children some space.

"I can't take Mona with me," Nysa said sadly. "She wouldn't like it there. She likes it here though, with you. She likes how you take care of her."

"So," Livi said, clearly using all her strength to try and stay angry.

"So you need to take of her for me, while I'm away."

Olivia slowly turned back around to face Nysa and looked down at the doll in her hands. "She doesn't get along with Missy," she said, speaking of one of her own dolls. "She's mean to her."

"But she promises she won't be anymore. And if she is, you can put her in timeout." Nysa handed Mona over to Livi in hopes that it would seal the deal. She took her and began to straighten her crumpled clothes.

"Maybe. If she promises."

"She does."

Olivia looked up from the doll, finally meeting the eyes of her friend. She knew how much Nysa loved Mona, knew that she was being entrusted with a sacred item. "Somebody tried to hurt you," she said, speaking of the incident that had brought them here for the first time. "But my daddy said that on the ship they can't get you."

"That's what my daddy said."

"Are you scared anyway?" she asked quietly.

Nysa shrugged softly. "Maybe."

Both girls looked down at their feet, clearly simply to avoid each other's gaze. "Well," Livi finally said, "you don't have to be scared about Mona. I'll keep her safe."

Nysa sniffled slightly, trying to hold back the tears before saying simply, "I know."